Instructor:  Dr. Roth

133 Cook Hall, M W 2:00-3:00, Th 11:00-1:00, or by appointment

E-mail: rroth@radford.edu 

World Wide Web Site: www.radford.edu/~rroth 

Telephone: 831-5443/5558

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing.

After satisfactorily completing this course, students should have an understanding of -- and be able to communicate with others about -- the basic institutions and tools of local government planning. They will understand the law, mechanics and purposes of zoning and subdivision regulation, as well as the roles of the governing body, planning commission, board of zoning appeals, developers, citizen groups and other actors in the planning process. Students will become familiar with the legislation governing local planning in Virginia. They will understand how the tools of planning can be applied to environmental problem-solving, and will gain experience in applying the "tools of the trade" to practical, real-world problems such as special area planning, community planning, or protection of environmentally sensitive areas.

Course Content: 

This course focuses primarily on the basics of local government planning, focusing primarily but not exclusively on Virginia. Broad topical areas to be covered include planning history, theory, and law; planning methods and techniques; plan implementation; and emerging issues such as growth management, environmental protection, and sustainable development. 

Students working as a group will prepare reports and presentations of their work on a real-world planning project. Depending on the specific project being undertaken, and the number of students in the class, the projects will involve gathering of information through archival research, interviews, surveys, and/or field studies; development of alternatives; evaluation of alternatives; and recommendations. A final report and presentation materials will be developed by the group. These will be presented before a panel of faculty and planning professionals. 

Students will also prepare book reports. These will take the form of a presentation to the class using Powerpoint. Basic instruction in the use of Powerpoint will be provided if needed. Students should expect to have to attend several public meetings (generally these take place on a weeknight).

The basic text for the course is Environmental Land Use Planning and Management by John Randolph (Island Press, 2004). We will also make use of the Virginia Code sections pertaining to local government planning, available online. Readings will also be assigned from various other sources, including articles and excerpts that will be put on reserve at the library as the semester progresses. 

The final grade will be based on a midterm written exam, a final written exam, the book report, the group project grade, and participation. Grades for the group project include an overall group grade that each member of the group will receive, based on the quality of the project report and presentation; and an individual grade, to be assigned by the instructor with input from your fellow group members based on their assessment of your contribution to the group's work. The participation grade is for classroom participation, based on attendance, completion and quality of work on homework assignments, attention, and evidence of preparedness. 

Final grades will be determined as follows: 

Book report 10% 

Group grade 20% 

Group/personal grade 20%

Midterm exam 15%

Participation 15% 

Final exam 20%  (exam date: Tuesday December 13, 5:30 p.m.)